Online dating is one of the fastest growing areas of the internet, but before you sign up for as many dating sites as you can find, you need to know that they are not all created equal. To have the safest and most enjoyable online dating experience possible, you need to do a little homework first.
Find and read reviews of the site that interests you. If they offer a trial membership, use it to see how you feel about the site once you’re inside.
“Don’t trust everyone you meet”
You might like the fact that you have a certain amount of anonymity on a dating site, but always remember that everyone else does too. Before you start telling all your secrets and sharing your deepest feelings, first get to know a person.
If the site you are considering does not have at least one method of verifying the id, I will keep looking for one that does. The most reputable sites tend to have more than one technique that they use to make sure their members are who they say they are.
Most of these are payment sites and use a member’s credit card to verify identity. Some use software programs to check various statistics, including age, address, criminal history, and even whether they have ever been convicted of a sex crime. However, remember that you are ultimately responsible for your safety. Although good dating sites do their best to protect their members, always use your own common sense with every decision you make.
“If you feel like you’re starring in Fatal Attraction …”
Before hitting the Submit button on a dating site’s app screen, make sure you’ve verified that they have a way to deal with unwanted contacts. This is usually a simple solution, often just clicking a button that blocks someone from sending you correspondence and most sites have this feature. What you want to look for is a way to contact administrators in case, for some reason, the ‘lock’ button doesn’t work. This is a good example of why you should meet someone before you start giving out personal contact information.
“Tips for a Safer Dating Experience for Singles, Online and Off”
Most of the people that make up an online dating site are normal people, like you and me, who are looking for someone special to share their interests with. Unfortunately, even with their protective filters in place, dating sites can have a bad apple or two in the barrel. Use the following 5 tips to increase your safety, online and offline.
- Your public profile should not contain any personal contact information, such as a phone number or address.
- If you’re not ready to take the conversation to the next level, don’t let anyone make you do it. Don’t meet someone face-to-face until you feel comfortable about it.
- Your first meetings should take place in public places. Someone close to you should know where you are going and with whom, and should call you when you return home.
- Put a limit on how long the first meeting should last. If things don’t work out well, you know a way out is coming.
- For the first date, agree to meet in a public place and drive your own car. There will be time after, if all goes well, that they pick you up at home.
Bonus tip
NEVER, NEVER do something that you are not comfortable with, at any stage of the relationship. Let your common sense guide you, your inner voice advise you, and your instinct dictate your decisions.